Image Description: A selfie of Lessa, a white non-binary person with brown hair, tucked in a graduation cap and wearing a blue shirt.
Author Bio
Lessinaydraa “Lessa” Astercourte is a freelance artist and aspiring disability advocate. They’ve lived in Indianapolis for 4 years and intend to stay for a while yet, continuing to work on projects with various homeless and disability causes in the city. Their pronouns are they/them, they identify as a nonbinary lesbian, and their favorite animal is the tarantula.
Image Description: A headshot of a Black man with short hair and glasses, wearing a gray suit jacket, a patterned dress shirt, and a blue plaid tie.
Author Bio
Three words adequately describe the Reverend Doctor Milton Keys: Preacher, Teacher and Producer. Keys uses these three gifts to change the world. Although he was born with cerebral palsy, and a bleak diagnosis, Milton has let nothing stop him from achieving his goals. Despite being given a two-year life expectancy and being supposed to have severe cognitive disabilities, Milton has earned 3 degrees. He has produced and released 13 musical albums, 4 plays, 1 ballet, held 8 youth summits, and completed numerous small projects in the last two and a half decades. As a disability theologian, Dr. Keys has been working to promote the rights of people with disabilities and to create a more inclusive society. His writings and speeches are aimed at inspiring and empowering people to overcome their challenges and to achieve their goals. Keys is the founder and executive director of Advocates Embassy, an organization that helps churches create environments where people with disabilities feel safe, are welcomed, and have access to abundant life. In 2025, AE released Dr. Key’s first book, Finding My Place: A Devotional About Disability and the Human Experience. Dr. Keys is an ambassador from a world without boundaries.
Familial Support and Work Accommodations: Two Keys to Disability Support
During times of distress or hopelessness, familial support and access to helpful resources are essential for coping with my disability. When living with a disability, it can often feel as though you are left to fend for yourself. However, knowing that there are people who support you and that you are not alone in caring for yourself makes an enormous difference.
Work-related resources are also crucial. Accommodations such as job protection during medical leave and opportunities to continue working within one’s limitations provide a sense of stability. These supports help me feel that I am not entirely at the mercy of my disability and that I retain some control over my life.
I have a condition called aplastic anemia, which causes extreme fatigue and shortness of breath. It also makes me more vulnerable to bruising, bleeding, and infections due to a weakened immune system. Family support plays a vital role in managing these challenges. My mother often takes me to medical appointments and helps me keep track of the many details involved in my treatment, especially when I am feeling unwell.
Workplace flexibility has also been incredibly important. Being allowed to adjust my schedule enables me to attend frequent and necessary medical appointments. Additionally, continued compensation during medical leave has been a tremendous help, particularly as I undergo a bone marrow transplant and am currently unable to work.
Together, family support and workplace accommodations have made a meaningful difference in my ability to manage my disability and maintain dignity, stability, and hope.
About the Author
Image Description: This image is a bit blurry, but it depicts a smiling young black man sitting on a bench in front of a yellow brick building. He has his hands clasped together, with a watch on his wrist, and is wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans.
Artist Bio
In this picture I was participating in a photoshoot aimed at telling my story . My story as an artist and the light that comes with being one . It took place in downtown Indianapolis, the city that birthed and shaped me to this day.
Darrel on the impact of support: In my times of distraught or hopelessness. Familial support and resources to succeed. Many times it can seem like one is left to their own demise when dealing with a disability. But to know that there people that have your back and that you have help taking care of yourself makes a world of a difference. And resources such as being able to leave work and have your job protected to having other work opportunities despite one’s restrictions. These things make me feel like I’m not at the mercy of disability and that I have some sort of control in my life .
Darrel on his disability: I have a condition called aplastic anemia. It makes me very fatigued and short of breath. Also it makes me prone to bleeding and bruising as well as a weak immune system.
Image Descriptions: This image depicts a rectangular painting with three panels. The first panel has a red background with a hand forming the letter C. The second panel has a blue background with light blue and rainbow legos, also forming the letter C. The last panel has a purple background with a more illustrative, light blue, letter C.
About the Artist
Image Description: A smiling young white man poses in front of water. He has pushed back, short blonde hair and is wearing a red polo with the name Duncan written on it.
Artist Bio
“It’s called ‘The Three Cs’ (naturally)” While early in life verbal expression could be, at times, a struggle for Duncan Forner, artistic expression never has been. Whether paint on canvas, fabric, ceramics, paper, or wood cutting, the results of his imaginative efforts have impressed and thrilled friends, family, and strangers. He’s never not creating in his own unique ways.
Duncan feels empowered when he has opportunities to show people his art. Duncan says, “ People have told me they are not good at art but they think I am and they tell me. So making art and showing it to people helps them know I think differently but can do lots of good things. “ Having created works of letters with clay, felt, paint, wood…seemingly every type of media imaginable, Duncan decided to go beyond different fonts. For this painting he utilized sign language and a ‘Lego-type’ brick font. His favorite letter is D, but he realizes other people have different favorites.
